


For What It’s Worth

by kabizzle



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-09-26 20:08:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17148302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kabizzle/pseuds/kabizzle
Summary: Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal have known each other since the first grade, but when they grow up and Link brings home a girlfriend, it means trouble for Rhett when he realizes his feelings for his best friend might be a little bit more than strictly platonic.





	1. Christy

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! This is my first official post. If I get some feed back and know for sure than anybody is reading I will update. Let me know what you think!

   Rhett was perplexed—there Link sat, on their couch, with his arm around some cute, petite blonde. Link had never showed true interest in anybody in their adulthood. The taller man cleared his throat from the doorway leading from the hall and both their heads shot around. “Rhett! I didn’t wanna wake you, this is Christy, the girl I told you about.” Rhett desperately wanted to say ‘you never told me about any girl’, but he knew that wasn’t appropriate with her sitting right next to Link.

It took Rhett nearly a minute to realize Christy’s hand was extended outward and he shook it as quickly as he could. “Rhett.” He said briefly and went back into his room without another word. Link’s brow furrowed at his friend’s hasty greeting, but continued his time hanging out with Christy, trying to get a laugh out of her as many times as he could and she returned the favor.

Rhett stood with his ear pressed to the wood of his bedroom door, listening as Christy gained laugh after laugh from Link; those were Rhett’s giggles to be earned. His blood was boiling and the second he heard the front door clock shut and silence fell upon the apartment, Rhett swung his bedroom door open. “What the hell, man?” He growled out at Link, who raised his arms in defeat. “I have no idea what’s the matter with you right now. I told you I-“

“You didn’t tell me shit.” Rhett protested.

“I like her a lot. I’m sorry that I forgot to mention that I was seeing somebody.”

“You didn’t tell me and you just... you had her in here, on the couch—on our couch. I woke up to you on a... a date on our couch, man. What if I had been in my underwear or something when I walked out?”

Link licked his lips at the thought. “I’ll tell you next time, man, I’m sorry.”

“I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me something as big as you liking a girl enough to bring her home and just... talk to her.” Rhett shook his head.

Link scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just be happy for me for once? What is it with you? I score a soccer goal—could’ve been two. I get an A on the final that we studied all those weeks for—could’ve been an A+. It’s like you undermine everything I do. What is it with her? I brought her home, I like her... what’s the could’ve been, huh?”

Rhett clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. He tensed up, holding back from saying ‘me, it could’ve been me’, he didn’t need to speak anymore, hell, he shouldn’t speak anymore. “There isn’t one. It just took me by surprise.” He said and walked past Link to the kitchen, getting a glass of water and silently passing Link again and locking himself in his room.

Link stood in the hall, brows furrowed in confusion and mumbled, “what the fuck?”


	2. I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett’s still jealous of Christy, but is getting better at hiding it. Rhett makes reassuring promises to his best friend as he continues to date the woman of his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the prolonged wait I’ll be better. (‘: hope it’s good.

> The morning after Rhett’s fit was eerily quiet, until the pressure broke Link, who let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, man, I can’t take it anymore. What’s goin’ on?” He finally asked, his long, dark hair messy in against pretty face as he stood in front of Rhett who was taking him in as he got closer; the older man didn’t really have a choice, but he didn’t mind the view, either. When they there practically face to face Rhett shifted uncomfortably, he couldn’t tell Link he had a crush on him, not when he spent hours just talking to Christy—no matter how much that displeased him. He was failing to come up with any answer besides the truth.
> 
> “Rhett.” Link said sternly, grabbing his best friend’s biceps, squeezing them tight, needing his answer, or simply needing Rhett to speak to him. “What can I do to fix this?” He felt just like he did when they were kids and he would spent the night at somebody else’s house and Rhett wouldn’t talk to him the next day at school, which was agony to the sensitive young boy who was now a sensitive young man.
> 
> Rhett softened when he noticed the fear in Link’s eyes, batting his lashes softly and relaxing his arms beneath his tight grasp. “There’s nothing to fix.” He said convincingly to reassure his best friend, who he wanted happy above all else. That was enough for Link to wrap his arms around Rhett tightly, hugging him longer than they every had. “Fuck... thank you, man.” Link said quietly and let their feet rest together in the comforting way that they naturally fell into; they had many habits when it came to one another and it was something both boys had grown fond of.
> 
> After pulling away from their much needed embrace, Link perked up. “I have to get read, I can’t be late! I’m meeting Christy’s folks.” Rhett couldn’t respond immediately, feeling an aching in his chest at the thought of Link taking such a big step with somebody else. He wondered how long they’d been seeing each other. “Don’t be late, now. First impressions are everything to old southern-folk.” Rhett teases instead of asking.
> 
> “I won’t be late, man.” Link said as he chuckled at Rhett’s verbiage, rolling his eyes with a stupid grin on his face.
> 
> “You will be if you keep standing here staring at me.” Teased Rhett.
> 
> Link turned so that he could blush and made a beeline to his room to start getting ready. Once the door was shut he pressed his back against the wood and felt his heart fluttering in his chest—it felt full from such a small exchange. That was all it took with Rhett his entire life, just a simple teasing and Link’s heart would always flutter. He was glad that the bigger boy had always liked to tease him.
> 
> Alone, Rhett sat on the couch and daydreamed about childhood, about a time more simple than now, a time where he wasn’t struggling to use a degree he’d gotten with his best friend. Daydreaming of a time before that very best friend’s attention was directed elsewhere. He mindlessly drew circle patterns on the couch cushion with his finger and smiled softly as he reminisced on moments he shared with Link.
> 
> ———
> 
> When Link emerged from his room, he immediately found Rhett in the kitchen snacking and modeled his suit and slicked back hair for the taller man. “Do I look alright?” 
> 
> “You look just fine.”
> 
> “You promise?”
> 
> “I promise.” Rhett said and wiped his hands before stepping forward and straightening up the collar of Link’s button up slowly and carefully. Link could feel the heat radiating from Rhett’s hands on his neck and he wished that those hands would slip and touch him there just a little bit, but he’d never tell it.
> 
> “There.” Rhett said, pulling Link away from his thoughts and pulling away from Link entirely. “Now it’s perfect.” He said reassuringly.
> 
> Link flashed a smiled and rushed down to his car, speeding off to get away from Rhett as fast as he could, not needing to make a mistake— knew Rhett would marry a good girl and he was gonna have to, too. It was inevitable. He didn’t need to go kissing his straight best friend for straightening out the collar of his damn shirt.
> 
> When Link rushed out, Rhett’s spirit was crushed the same way it was when he’d first met Christy. He slumped down on the couch, pulling the blanket over his legs and sitting in silence. He needed to sort out his head, he needed to remind himself that Link wasn’t his to be jealous over, he was just a friend. That Link had Christy, whose parents he would be meeting tonight.
> 
> Rhett hated being alone when his mind was racing, so he turned on some music to drown out his own thoughts and fell asleep on the couch. When he woke up, his legs were cramping and he gave them long stretch before standing and stretching some more. He heard shuffling in the kitchen and the sound of the cabinet being closed softly and precisely; he knew Link was home, making himself a bowl of cereal quietly as to not wake him. Rushing to the kitchen, Rhett nearly tripped and had to grasp the edge of the wall as he peaked in at Link, who had obviously showered—his hair was shaggy and he was wearing an old Brooks and Dunn tee that was so tattered that he only wore it to sleep in. And look on his face told Rhett he was distraught and that things didn’t go well. “Hey, bo.” The taller man said and stepped into the kitchen, standing on the other side of the room.
> 
> Link smiled softly at the pet name and soon that smile faded. “Hey.” He replied simply.
> 
> “Do you want to talk about it?” Rhett asked, his eyes locked on the younger man as he stepped closer to open up the fridge. Link was chewing on his nails now. “They hate me. They absolutely hate me.” He groaned and washed his hands before taking the milk from the open fridge to pour into his cereal. “I really like her, but she said she honors her parents’ opinions and I’m afraid she’ll break things off with me the second she calls...”
> 
> Rhett frowned, and closed the fridge, putting down the various cheeses he’d gathered. “Are you kidding me? I don’t think she’d do that. Did you see the way she looks at you?”
> 
> “Yeah, but—“
> 
> “No buts, man. It’s going to be fine.”
> 
> “Do you think so?” Asked Link, who had forgotten all about his cereal and was looking up into Rhett’s big, green eyes.
> 
> “I know so.” Rhett said and rubbed Link’s back with one hand comfortingly. “Take a breath.”
> 
> “I don’t know, Rhett...”
> 
> “I promise it will all work out.”
> 
> “Really?”
> 
> “I promise.” Rhett looked into Link’s eyes as he spoke, his heart was going off and the butterflies were back in his stomach.
> 
> “Okay.” Link sighed out, rolling his shoulders.
> 
> “You’re right—she likes me a lot.”
> 
> Rhett smiled and gathered his cheeses before he went off to his bedroom. Knowing he’d calmed Link down he could finally eat and relaxing a little. And he kept the music going just in case he tried to think again.
> 
> Surprisingly, Link went to bed with a smile on his face that night, hugging his pillow to his chest as he thought of Rhett and all his promises.
> 
> As soon as Rhett woke up, he faintly heard Link talking, wondering if Christy was over or if he had Josh or Stevie over. When he heard Link’s laugh, his heart raced, making him quick to rub the sleep from his eyes and hop out of bed. When he walked into the living room he could clearly see Link on the phone, a blush on his pale, boyish features. Rhett smiled and then frowned, realizing he was making amends with Christy after their horrible date.
> 
> “I really like you, too...” Said Link with grin, sending Rhett out of the room.
> 
> The taller man was distraught, despite being relieved that he didn’t have to see Link bawling his eyes out on the couch when he woke. He wanted Link to himself, even if it meant just being his friend. He turned the shower on and stripped down, looking in the mirror at his sad face.
> 
> Link’s thumping on the door made Rhett nearly jump out of his skin. “Yeah?” He asked, covering his crotch with a towel just in case.
> 
> “If you would have come to say good morning, you’d know that you were right. And I know how much you like to be right.” Link said, sort of gushing about his older friend.
> 
> “Oh, yeah? Right about what?”
> 
> “Christy—she’s fine. Well, more than fine. We’re fine. We’re great.” Link fumbled for the right words. “She said she doesn’t care what her daddy says and that she likes me a whole lot.” He was now gushing about Christy, and that made Rhett feel worse.
> 
> “See, man? I’m always right.” Rhett said through the door and opened the curtain, hoping Link would get the message and let him alone to shower.
> 
> “Thank you... I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Link finally said and Rhett scoffed.
> 
> There was only one way Link could do that, and Rhett knew it would never happen. That he would never have Link to himself.


End file.
